Fifth-wheel



(No. Model.)

D. WILCOX.

FIFTH WHEEL.

Patented Nov. 4, 11890.

WITNESS/ES Y i fue noms Penas co., muvo-umn., wnsnmnnn, n4 c.

UNITED STATES PATENT GFEICE.

DAEIUs wILcoX, or BATAvIAfNEw YORK.

FIFTH-WHEEL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters IPatent No. 439,826, dated November 4, 1890. Application led une 30, 1890- Serial No. 357,296. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern;

Be it known that I, DARIUS WILCOX, a citizen of the United States, residing atv Batavia, in the county of Genesee and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fifth-Wheels; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention has for its object to simplify, cheapen, and to generally improve the construction of fifth-wheels without affecting their mode of operation in the slightest.

With this end in view I have devised the simple and novel construction of which the following description, in connectionfwith the accompanying drawings, is a specification, numerals being used to denote the several parts.

Figure l is a plan Viewv of a fifth-wheel embodying my novel improvements detached; Fig. 2, a front elevation thereof; Fig. 3, an

elevation and plan view of my novel bolt and boss, and Fig. 4 a cross-section on the line a: w in Fig. 1.

1 denotes the upper and 2 the lower parts of the fifth-wheel.

3 denotes the usual lugs on the upper part for the attachment of the reach, and 4 the usual clips on the lower` part, whereby it is attached to the axle, the upper part being rigidly attached to a head-block or bolster in the usual or any preferred manner. As the general construction of the wagon, however, forms no portion of my present invention, I have not deemed it to require illustration in the drawings. The upper part of the fthwheel is provided at its mid-length on its inner and outer sides with lugs 5, having holes to receive bolts 6.

7 denotes a yoke, also having holes to receive bolts 6 and preferably provided in its lower sides with sockets 8 to receive blocks of rubber 9, washers l0 being provided in the usual manner between the nuts 11 and the rubber blocks.

Lugs 5 and yoke 7 are common in fifthwheels. It is necessary, however, to meet the requirements of the trade, that the space on opposite sides of the lower fifth-wheel be lled in. In order to accomplish this result, the lugs upon the upper ifth-wheel have been made to extend downward to cover the lower fifth-wheel and lugs have been formed upon the yoke to extend upward for the same purpose. These constructions, however, add considerably to the cost of production.

My present invention enables me to make the lugs 5 upon the upper fth-wheel iiush with the under side thereof and to make the ipper side of the yoke straight across, thereby simplifying the manufacture and greatly reducing the cost of production. In order to ill in the space upon the inner and outer sides of the lower fth-wheel, thereby giving to the completed article a neat and finished appearance, I form uponeach bolt 6 aboss l2. This boss is either straight across on the inner side or slightly curved to correspond with the curvature of the lower fifth-wheel, and upon the outer side is rounded to correspond with the curvature of lug 5 and the yoke, so that when seen in end elevation, as in Fig. 2, or in side elevation, as in Fig. 4, a neat and finished appearance is presented, the outline of the lugs, yoke, and boss corresponding. The bolts may of course be made in any suitable manner. I preferably form them by striking up or drop-forging. The portion of the bolt above the boss is left straight, and in assembling is headed down upon the top of lug 5, as clearly showninFig. 4. The lower ends ofthe bolt are threaded and are passed through the holes in the yokes and rubber blocks and washers, and the parts are secured together by nuts in the usual manner.

Having thus described my invention, I claim- 1. The combina* 'on, with the upper part of a fifth-wheel, having 1 gs 5 flush with the under surface thereof and a yoke 7, straight across upon the upper side, of the lower part of a fth-wheel, and bolts on opposite sides thereof which connect lugs 5 and the yoke, said bolts being provided with bosses which fill the space between the lugs and the yoke.

2. The combination, with the lower fifthwheel and a yoke 7 of an upper fifth-wheel having lugs 5 and bolts passing through the lugs and yoke and having bosses l2 lying between the lugs and yoke and corresponding in outline therewith, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I aiix my signature in presence of two witnesses. v

DARIUS WILCOX. Witnesses:

RICHARD L. Co'rns, H. E. SMITH.

IOO 

